POP idols Robbie Williams and
Geri Halliwell have secretly jetted off
for a romantic holiday in a lovers' paradise.

The two singers flew out yesterday
- just days after Geri was spotted
leaving Robbie's west London flat in the early hours.

And they are set to spend Geri's
28th birthday together at a rented
villa in the exclusive French resort of St Tropez. The pair tried
to
keep
their twoweek vacation hush-hush by taking different flights to
Nice.

Geri headed off in the morning
while Robbie delayed his flight till
3pm.

In previous years Geri has stayed
at her pal George Michael's mansion
but this time the former Ginger Spice opted to rent her own villa
so
Robbie could join her.

Last night a source said: "Geri
and Robbie have known each other for
years. They are both with the same record company and get on really
well.

"After all, they have so
much in common. They were both in massive
bands and they both left to forge hugely-successful solo careers."

The duo were first spotted together
in the early hours of last
Saturdayafter Geri had been at Robbie's trendy flat in Notting
Hill,
west
London.

As she left, Robbie - ever the
gentleman - chaperoned her to a waiting
taxi.

If the pair's friendship has turned
to romance, as seems the case, it
would certainly be the most surprising love match since Geri went
out
with
Virgin Radio DJ Chris Evans.

The pair were said to have enjoyed
a brief romance last November -
although many cynics believed the relationship was just a sham
to gain
publicity.

Since then, Geri has been single.
Robbie too is on his own again after
splitting from leggy blonde Tania Strecker, who presents late-night
Channel Four show Naked Elvis, in May.

And even though former Word host
Amanda de Cadanet stayed at his house
while Robbie was in Australia and New Zealand last month, they
are just
pals.

In the past, Robbie has also dated
the likes of Anna Friel, Jacqui
Hamilton-Smith and ex-fiance Nicole Appleton but recently declared
that
he
had never been in love.

Before she packed her bags Geri
had an early birthday party with close
friends, including George Michael and his boyfriend Kenny Goss,
at the
trendy Ivy restaurant in central London.

The last time Geri was in the
south of France she was on business - but
this time her trip is purely for pleasure.

Back in May, Geri headed to the
Cannes Film Festival to announce her
first appearance in a movie since Spiceworld.

The £7 million film, Therapy,
is due to begin shooting later this year
and features Geri playing a 20-something professional who falls
in love
with her shrink.

Geri is renowned for her love
of the French Riviera.

As well as George's pad - which
is called Chez Nobby! - she has also
stayed at Sir Elton John's £1.8 million St Tropez villa.

It was there that Geri was seen
in her first public photos after
leaving the Spice Girls back in 1998.

In the pictures, she sat clutching
a copy of self-help book Further
Along The Road Less Travelled by American pyschotherapist Dr M.
Scott
Peck.

Two months later Geri and George
sat down for dinner with David and
Victoria Beckham at the exclusive Le Girelier restaurant in St
Tropez.

It was the first time that Geri
had met any of the other Spice Girls in
public following her shock departure from the group.